I love this city because ...

Even though Pretoria's really quite a big city (with a population of over two million) it retains a village feel because of all the universities, schools and government institutions. The people are laid back, sophisticated and generally well travelled.

Get to Eastwoods Tavern (391 Eastwood Street, Arcadia; +27 12 344 0243) for multiple big screens, cheap draught beer, honest food and a loud sports bar-type vibe. It's 100m away from the Loftus Stadium – which is the World Cup venue – so expect to pick up some of the match atmosphere. Definitely not for a quiet night out.

Best places to drink

I love the bar at Pachas in Hazelwood (Club 2 Centre, 22 Dely Road, Hazelwood; +27 12 460 5063; pachas.co.za) which is quite stylish and attached to a good restaurant. It has some very comfortable sofas and often attracts a late-night crowd for a quiet drink.

Best places for live music

Compared to Johannesburg, Pretoria is a bit lightweight in terms of live music but there are lots of live reggae and alternative bands at Tings an' Times (1065 Arcadia Street; +27 12 430 3176) in Hatfield, which is the student area. It's a bit of a dive and some of the food is mediocre, but has a great feel and gets full of students when the bands play. There are great jazz clubs in some of the townships, but it can be quite dangerous to head off the beaten track due to fairly high crime levels. Don't try it alone.

Best places to eat street food

Street food in Pretoria is honestly best avoided due to very dodgy hygiene standards. However, if you must ... look for Pretoria's famous boerewors roll stands (boerewors are the national sausage and famous in Pretoria). And order them loaded with onions, please.

Best places to eat treat food

La Madeleine in Lynnwood (122 Priory Road, Lynwood Ridge; +27 12 361 3667; lamadeleine.co.za) offers undoubtedly one of the finest French kitchens in South Africa, and in a charming setting too. A true family restaurant with international-standard cuisine.

I cook at Ritrovo Ristorante (Waterkloof Heights Shopping Centre, 103 Club Avenue; +27 12 450 5173; ritrovo.co.za) the Italian restaurant with the most awards in South Africa. It aims to offer superb cuisine and an outstanding selection of wines, but without the normal pomposity attached to fine-dining establishments

Best thing to do for free

During the World Cup not much will be for free. However, most of our museums charge very little to enter, and a visit to the Freedom Park memorial (freedompark.co.za) in particular can be quite moving. The Farm Inn, which is about 15 minutes' drive from Pretoria on Lynnwood Rd (+27 12 809 0266; farminn.co.za) has a great wild animal enclosure where you can pet and interact with cheetahs, and see some of the big cats and game in a small private reserve. A game drive only costs about £6!

Best shops/markets

Menlyn Park (Corner of Afterbury Road and Lois Avenue, Menlo Park; +27 12 348 8766; menlynpark.co.za) is a mall in classic style with a huge range of shops - over 500, in fact. Brooklyn Mall (Corner of Fehrsen Street and Lange Street, New Muckleneuk; +27 12 346 1063/4; brooklynmall.co.za) is smaller but also cooler and more upmarket.

The street market outside the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (232 Boom Street; +27 12 328 3265; zoo.ac.za) is very hip for your souvenir shopping – but haggle, or you will be ripped off. Also watch your purse.

Irene Village Mall (Corner of Nellmapius Avenue and Van Ryneveld Drive, Irene; +27 12 662 4446; irenevillagemall.co.za) is great for kids, with a big central fountain and animals for them to climb on while you shop.

Local's favourite thing to see

The Union Buildings (Government Avenue; +27 12 300 5200; thepresidency.gov.za)are the seat of government, where the president's office is located, and they're free to visit with some beautiful gardens and a magnificent view over Pretoria. The structures are impressive and imposing – and who knows who you might bump into?

Other things to see nearby

The lovely little village of Dullstroom (dullstroom.co.za), a fly fisherman's paradise, is a two-and-a-half hour drive east. It has a very quaint atmosphere with lots of interesting little shops.

Closer is the little town of Cullinan, which is 30 minutes by car. Cullinan is home to the world's most famous active diamond mine, where the two largest diamonds in history were unearthed. There's also a fully restored mining village and a really superb Greek restaurant (weird, I know), along with some lovely arts and crafts stores.

• Fortunato Mazzone is an award-winning South African chef and foodie.